Halibut Fishing at Trailhead Lodge

From June 1st to 23rd our charters are primarily halibut fishing trips. We will travel up to 25 miles offshore to the best Port Renfrew halibut fishing spots on the west coast.

Vancouver Island Halibut

Typically on BC’s west coast we target “Chicken Halibut”, nice fish ranging from 20 to 50 lbs. These Vancouver Island halibut are plentiful and are not yet part of the important breeding stock. They fight hard and eat great.

Halibut are a migratory fish, traveling great distances each spring to come into shallower waters to feed and spawn. Big barn door halibut are not uncommon in our area but these fish are all females and have finally made it to the breeding stage. We often catch them but we do not go out of our way to specifically target them because it’s like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Trailhead Resort’s Port Renfrew Fishing

Your halibut sport fishing trip from the Port Renfrew with Trailhead will go something like this:

• We leave the dock at 6 am in one of our custom built Silver Streak sport fishing boats. These are cool boats made for the job ahead – big power, comfortable seating, warm ride and well equipped.
• Depending on the day and tides, we may fish halibut first or we may fish salmon.
• When it’s BC halibut fishing, we head to the prolific feeding grounds of the Swiftsure Bank.
• We cruise out of the Bay of San Juan onto the open Pacific and compass at 240’. It’s about an hour ride.
• Your skipper will slow the boat and check the drift direction, X marks the spot and then he will take you up current and get set up for your drift.
• We are drift fishing Vancouver Island halibut with sturdy six foot rods and level wind reels with 100 lb test thin braided line.
• On our pilot house boats each man takes a corner and drops the gear.
• Sometimes we use bait but mostly artificial gear, scented white grubs made by Delta Tackle and threaded with 10/0 J hooks on 80 lb mono leaders.
• We hook these up to a spreader bar with as much as 2 lbs of weight.
• Bombs away, you are sport fishing BC halibut west coast Vancouver Island style.

BC Halibut Fishing – Worth the Fight!

Funny thing is most first-time halibut sport fishermen are looking for a giant fish but after winding up a 40 pounder, they say that was plenty enough fight for them!

• Hit bottom and keep the gear right there, not dragging and not too far off bottom.
• You can jig but you don’t need to. Hell, leave it in the rod holder because it’s welded aluminum right to the boat.
• Now don’t light a smoke and forget the sandwich. Pay attention because it’s going to happen fast.
• A couple of light jerks and “wham”! Rod tip bent over, fish on, line pulling out, and you got yourself a fighting Vancouver Island halibut on the line.
• For you first timers, it’s a fight man! These fish are tough, true denizens of the deep and top of the food chain.
• They hit hard and fight like champions, there is no finesse here, halibut have one thing they do – try to get back to the bottom. You are going to work hard to bring them up.
• You may wonder why you are not the center of attention right now until you look around and see your partners are dealing with the same thing.
• First fish up, first in the boat, and the fight is now in the stern as your guide subdues, unhooks, bleeds and lockers your fish for you.
• “Hey pal, don’t stand around grinning. Drop the gear cause we’re on the fish”.

Sounds simple. It kind of is. It took a few years to figure it out but now our info is all yours. Come give Port Renfrew halibut fishing a try - Trailhead Resort style.